The Woes of Wizards
by Stronghammer78
Summary: This is a story about Declan O'Riley, a Muggle-born wizard who is best friends with James Sirius Potter and attends Hogwarts with him. Declan loves everything about Hogwarts, until one day he learns that many wizards despise Muggles. As the ideas of revolution begin to spread amongst the wizarding world, how will the students at Hogwarts choose which side to join?
1. Boarding School

Declan was sitting at the desk in his room, surfing the Internet on his laptop in an attempt to remedy his boredom. He had been explicitly told by his father earlier that day that he had lost his laptop privileges for a month, but Declan couldn't have defended himself even if he had wanted to. He felt awful for what had happened to his eight year-old sister Frances, but he honestly had no idea how she had suddenly turned yellow. One minute she was her usual, annoying self, and the next she was screaming with fear, looking as close as a person could to a terrified lemon. Declan's father, John O'Riley, couldn't explain it either, but he had punished his eleven year-old son anyway. Both Mr. O'Riley and Frances were in the bathroom down the hall, yelling back and forth about how their attempt to return her skin to its regular hue was so far unsuccessful.

This was only the most recent inexplicable occurrence in Declan's life. Once, before his mother had died five years ago of a massive brain aneurysm, the family cat had lost all of its fur overnight, which was found the next day in Mr. O'Riley's car. More recently, about three years ago, Declan had been at school, playing with his friends, when a bully had started teasing Declan. Out of nowhere, a trout had appeared and slapped the boy across the face, then fell to the dirt and flopped around until it died.

Growing bored with his laptop, Declan took stock of his surroundings, searching for something to entertain his young, restless mind. His hazel eyes passed over the various photos on his desk, pausing only briefly when they beheld his mother's face. He had her thin nose and grayish eyes, but his high cheekbones, cleft chin and black hair could not be found on her countenance. In the moments when his thoughts turned to her, he did not remember the sound of her voice or the warmth of her smile; instead, he recalled the sound of her flatlining in the hospital, and the sight of her lying on the kitchen floor, blood oozing from her ear and into her thick, auburn hair.

Blinking back tears, Declan shifted his gaze to the bookshelf in the corner of his room. It was old and worn, but that did not mean that it went unused now. Nine of its ten shelves contained a variety of books, which ranged from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones. All of the books, including Darwin's Origin of Species, had been read by Declan at least once, typically more. The top shelf was home to a few football trophies Declan had earned over the last few years.

Experiencing an unusual lack of interest in the books, Declan rose from his desk and approached his bed. He climbed onto it, kneeling on his pillows as he gazed out the small window above the headboard. The midsummer sun bathed Godric's Hollow in magnificent oranges and reds, casting dark shadows wherever the rays met something. The church's stained glass windows were exceptionally beautiful in the sunlight.

"Your sister's skin is back to normal," Mr. O'Riley said from the bedroom door, causing Declan to jump in surprise. "I know you didn't mean to scare her, but I need to know how you did it, son."

Declan turned away from the window, facing his father as he remained on the bed. Sighing, he said, "I'm sorry Dad. I know I shouldn't have done it. I'll apologize to her." The young boy knew that although he hadn't answered the question, he had given his father what he wanted to hear.

"Once you've apologized, come see me in my room. I've got some errands for you to run," Mr. O'Riley said, then walked down the hall and out of sight.

Declan clambered off his bed, walked out of his room and into his sister's. The bright pink walls assaulted his eyeballs, and perfume invaded his nostrils, strong enough to make his eyes smart. Frances was sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching something on the family iPad. After clearing his throat, Declan began, "Frances, I - "

"It wasn't your fault," she interrupted without taking her eyes off the tablet. "I was being annoying, and you asked me to stop. I know you didn't mean to do it, just like you didn't mean to make Fluffy lose all of his fur that one time. It's okay."

"Um…alright. Thanks, Frannie," he responded, slightly bewildered. She shrugged, so Declan left her to her video, making his way to his father's bedroom. The room was almost completely devoid of personal touch, the bed and wardrobe being the only decorations within. The stone-gray walls gave off a feeling of sadness; Declan hated this room. "You said you had some errands for me to run?" he said to his father, who was sitting on the bed and staring at nothing.

Emerging slowly from his reverie, Mr. O'Riley muttered, "Aye, I want you to pick up some things from the store. There's a list on the kitchen table. Once you get home, I'll make dinner." With that, he went back to staring at the wall.

Declan was worried about his father, but he didn't know how he could help. He left the depressing room and made his way downstairs, grabbed the list off of the kitchen table, then walked outside. He strode silently through the similarly quiet neighborhood, hands deep in his pockets. The beauty of the July morning was wasted on Declan, who was paying almost no attention to his surroundings. He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice that he had walked past one of his best friends until said friend called out to him.

"Oi, O'Riley! Not even gonna say hello, eh?"

Starting, Declan turned to see James standing on the sidewalk, looking baffled. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. How's Al?"

"He's a pain, as always," James said as he shrugged. "Look, there's something I've gotta tell you…I'm starting at a new boarding school on second of September."

"Wai - What? This is really sudden…when did you find out?"

"I got my acceptance letter this morning," James said, seeming excited but also sad to be leaving his friend. "It's out in Scotland, so I won't be around except for the holidays. I leave on the first. Can we meet up and talk more about this later today? I've really gotta run. Sorry mate," he said, slapping his friend lightly on the shoulder before turning and walking off.

Declan watched the wiry boy depart, utterly crestfallen. Wondering what this meant for his immediate future, Declan slowly made his way to the store. He picked up the items on the list, and he grabbed a Coke for himself on his way to the checkout. Standing in line was a tall, dark-haired man with circular glasses. Working up his courage, Declan approached and said, "Mr. Potter, can I ask you something?"

Upon hearing his name, the man turned, recognized his son's best friend and said, "Good morning Declan! What's on your mind lad?"

"Is James mad at me? Why does he want to go to a new school? Does he not want to be friends anymore?" the boy asked in a rush.

Mr. Potter crouched so he could meet the boy's eyes, then said, "Declan, come now. You and James are closer than James is with his own brother, and you also know that they're thick as thieves. To be perfectly honest with you, Mrs. Potter and I forced him to apply. When he got his acceptance letter this morning, his first statement was that you weren't going to be happy. I sincerely doubt that he doesn't want to be friends anymore. Alright?" When Declan nodded, Mr. Potter ruffled the boy's hair and stood. "If that'll be all, I'm gonna go ahead and go home now. Someone's got to keep Ginny sane, after all."

"Thank you, sir," Declan said, obviously reassured. Mr. Potter nodded, then turned to the cashier to check out. Declan got into a different line, paid for the groceries with the fifty pound note that Mr. O'Riley had placed under the shopping list, waved to Mr. Potter and then left the shop.

Ten minutes later, Declan was walking up the driveway of his home, searching the nearby woods for the owl that had screeched just seconds before. He tossed the empty Coke bottle into the rubbish bin before going inside. Just across the threshold was the post, several envelopes resting on the carpet. "I'm home! Mail's here too," he called out as soon as he picked up the envelopes and closed the door behind him.

Declan strode from the foyer into the den to find his father sitting on the couch, watching a football match. Declan handed his father the post and the leftover money, then made his way into the kitchen. He quickly put the groceries away, grabbing an apple from the fridge when he was done. He then returned to the den, munching on the apple as he did so, sat next to his father, and watched the remainder of the match. Declan preferred playing the sport to watching, but it was one of the few moments that allowed him the opportunity to spend time with his father. Mr. O'Riley got extremely animated whenever he was watching a football game, and it comforted Declan to see his father invested in something that wasn't his job as a lawyer. The two of them sat and watched every game they could, even if their preferred team, Liverpool, wasn't playing.

Today though, the match dragged on and on. Once it was finally over, Declan said, "I saw James and Mr. Potter while I was out. James told me he's attending a new boarding school, start of September. It's in Scotland."

Mr. O'Riley sighed, clicked off the television, then turned to face his son. He seemed to search Declan's expression for a moment, but he made no remark as to what he was looking for nor whether he found it. "I'm sorry, Declan. He'll be around during the holidays though, and you've got other friends. This will only be a negative thing if you turn it into one," Mr. O'Riley encouraged. "He's like the brother you never had. I'm sure he'll call every chance he gets, eh?"

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Dad," Declan said as he rose from the couch.

Mr. O'Riley sorted through the envelopes as his son went to throw away the core of the apple he had been eating. Most of the mail consisted of bills and advertisements, although there was one envelope that was neither. "Hey Declan! You've got something in the mail," he called to his son as he tossed the envelope to the other end of the couch.

Declan reappeared to grab the letter without looking at it and then made his way up to his room. As he sat on his bed, he tossed the envelope onto his desk, pulling out his phone as he did so to text James. After sending a single word in greeting, he set his phone on the desk and grabbed the letter once more. Upon examination, the envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and his name and address were written in emerald-green ink. There was no return address, nor was there a stamp. Turning the envelope over, Declan saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter _H_.

His interest piqued, Declan ignored the buzz of his cell phone that meant that James had replied, instead breaking the fancy seal with his index finger. Inside the envelope were three folded pieces of paper, thick and yellow just like the envelope. Declan unfolded the parchment carefully, upon which was the same emerald ink in the same handwriting. The first piece of parchment read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Mr. O'Riley,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of

Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and

equipment, as well as a letter explaining the contents of this message since our records

indicate that you are Muggle-born.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Neville Longbottom

Deputy Headmaster

Declan read the letter twice before tossing it and the other contents of the envelope into the rubbish bin under his desk. Chuckling to himself as he unlocked his phone, he dialed his best friend's number and listened while the line rang. After three rings, James greeted him. "Alright mate, I know we've had a bit of a prank war going for a few months now, but that last one was just plain dumb," Declan said with a laugh.

"I can explain," James groaned. "Lily walked into my room wanting me to play with her right before I finished cutting the _T_ , and she startled me, so it turned into an _O_. It wasn't supposed to say _CUNO_ , it was supposed to - "

"I'm not talking about my shirt, you git. I'm talking about the letter," Declan said with a hint of annoyance.

"What letter?" James replied, sounding intrigued.

"The one from Pigfarts Academy of Withery and Wizardcraft, or something like that. I had no idea you had such an imagination."

There was a long pause from the other end, which was finally broken when James asked, "Declan, are you saying you got a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

Sensing that something was off, Declan hesitated before saying, "Yeah, I think that's what you called it.

Another long pause followed Declan's statement, then James finally said, "O'Riley, grab the envelope and letters, tell your dad you're going out, then get over to my place ASAP. We have a lot to talk about."

 **I hope you enjoyed the beginning of my new fic! Please leave a review telling me what you liked or disliked; any and all feedback is helpful.**


	2. Explanations

Declan was sitting at the dining room table in the Potters' home, shifting his incredulous stare from James to Mr. Potter, then from Mr. Potter to his wife, and back to James in a drawn-out cycle. The grandfather clock in the corner of the room ticked away the otherwise silent minutes. The letter from Hogwarts rested innocently on the mahogany table between James and Declan, unaware that it had completely and irrevocably changed the latter's life.

"Let me get this straight," Declan said, and the other three pairs of eyes flashed with anticipation, "magic is real, and you're wizards, hiding amongst the normal people so that us…Muggles?...don't bother you with our problems? And there's an entire society hidden under our noses?"

Mr. Potter nodded as he said, "Yes, Declan. When I was your age, I too was unaware of the wizarding world. As it turned out, I was born to magic parents, but when they died, my aunt and uncle fostered me, both of whom were very anti-magic. On my eleventh birthday, a half-giant named Hagrid delivered my letter from Hogwarts and explained everything to me. He took me to buy my things the next day, which I think was when I realized that he wasn't lying. We're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get James's things, and we would love to bring you with us."

Declan glanced around at the faces of the people he had known for most of his life, seeing them in an entirely different light than he had the day before. After considering for a moment, he wasn't totally convinced as he said, "Alright, I'll come. How much money do I need to bring with me? Also, would it be possible to see some magic?"

As Mr. Potter was about to say something, Mrs. Potter cut in. "For Merlin's sake Harry, we can show him something. What are you worried about? The Ministry won't do anything since he's technically not a Muggle. Besides, after all you've done for the world, both wizarding and otherwise, the Ministry would have to be raving to reprimand you for anything. I doubt Shacklebolt would ever try to bring you in, even if you murdered someone."

Mr. Potter was obviously uncomfortable with her statement, shifting in his chair as she spoke. Declan cast a questioning glance at James, who mouthed "later" when their eyes met. With a sigh, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a stick of wood. He twirled it in the air, and Declan gasped in amazement as several small birds appeared from the end of the wood. They flew around the room twice, chirping cheerily before Mr. Potter waved the stick again, and the birds vanished without a trace.

Declan was still in shock as Ginny said, "There's something else as well. Kreacher!" A loud _snap_ caused the boy to jump, and he nearly screamed as a wrinkled thing appeared at Mrs. Potter's elbow. It stood about two and a half feet tall, had bat-like ears, bulbous eyes and wore what appeared to be a pillowcase. It looked fearfully at Declan, causing Ginny to say, "Kreacher, you know about James's friend, Declan? He received a letter from Hogwarts today."

Kreacher turned to face Declan, bowed deeply, then said, "Congratulations Master Declan. Most proud you should be. Hogwarts is a good place."

"Will you please fetch some refreshments, Kreacher?" The small thing bowed again, then disappeared with another _crack_. "Kreacher is a house-elf," Mrs. Potter explained. "He serves our family, doing whatever we ask. Harry tried to free him almost twenty years ago, but Kreacher refused. He was actually offended by Harry's gesture, so Harry decided to keep him."

A million questions buzzed in Declan's head, causing him to become slightly dizzy. He opened his mouth to ask one of them, but couldn't decide which and closed his mouth. This process occurred a few times before James said, "Come on Declan, let's go to my room. I'll answer all of your questions. Mum, would you mind having Kreacher bring us something?"

He put an arm around Declan's shoulders, guiding the dazed boy upstairs and into James's bedroom. James sat his friend in the chair at the desk, then hopped onto the desk, ignoring the multiple sheets of paper that were now wrinkling under his rear. "So, where do you want to start?"

Declan raised his head from his hands and met his best friend's eyes. "What am I going to do now?" he implored. "How will I explain to my friends where I've been all term? What am I going to tell Frances? How do I keep this a secret? _Why_ do I have to keep this a secret?"

If James was made uncomfortable by Declan's disbelief, he hid it well. Keeping his voice level and his expression calm, he said, "If you want, we can say that you've gone to the same boarding school that I'll be attending. It's easiest to tell everyone the same lie rather than telling one person one thing and someone else another. Consistency is how you keep this a secret. If I were you, I would tell your dad and sister the truth as soon as you leave here; the sooner they know, the better. Plus, it's quite possible that Frances will also be accepted to Hogwarts. As for why you have to keep this a secret, I've often wondered that myself. I usually can't come up with any reason other than if I tell anyone I shouldn't, I won't be allowed to practice magic. What else would you like to know?"

After a moment to ponder it, Declan asked, "What was your mom talking about? Why'd she say that your dad could probably get away with murder?"

The other boy smiled and answered, "That story could take seven books to explain. The short version of it is that my dad is really famous in the wizarding world because he killed this really evil bloke seventeen years ago. He defeated him, who was considered to be the most powerful wizard of the age, just less than a dozen times. You've noticed the scar on my dad's forehead, yeah? He didn't get it in a car crash. He got it when he survived a spell that was supposed to kill him, a spell that had killed his parents just moments before being used on him. Oh, and he was only a year old when he first defeated Voldemort."

"Now you're just messing with me," Declan pouted.

Declan awoke the next morning at 5:30 after a restless night. Both Mr. O'Riley and Frances had taken some convincing to believe that Declan was a wizard and had been invited to attend a school to learn magic, but they both decided to trust him. When Declan had told his father that he would be going with the Potters the next day to purchase his things for school, Mr. O'Riley had been shocked to learn that the family was not what it seemed. He had asked Declan if he wanted his father to come with him, but Declan had declined as politely as he could.

As Declan waited for the events of the day to begin, he sat on his bed, poring over the two sheets of parchment that had accompanied his acceptance letter. These consisted of an in-depth explanation about the wizarding world that also said a Hogwarts representative would be visiting his home the morning after he received his letter. The other was a list of supplies that he would need to buy before taking the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross Station on September first. He had already read both sheets of parchment a dozen times, but he read the list again, wondering how much money he would need to bring with him later in the day:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Uniform

First year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragonhide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags

Course books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guid to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

1 official Hogwarts trunk

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

Parents are reminded that first years are NOT allowed their own broomsticks

Remembering something being mentioned in the explanation letter about exchange rates, Declan set the list on his desk and skimmed the other piece of parchment. When he found what he was searching for, he grabbed a pen and wrote himself a note on the back of the supply list:

There are 29 Knuts (bronze) to a Sickle, 17 Sickles (silver) to a Galleon, and 1 Galleon (gold) is worth 4.93 Pounds

Declan spent the next two hours trying to guess how much each item on his list would cost in Muggle money, then converting it to Wizarding money. He reckoned he would need about six hundred Pounds, or one hundred twenty-one Galleons, eleven Sickles, and twenty-eight Knuts. As he finished his calculations, the doorbell rang from downstairs, its chime sounding tinny and loud in the silent house. Looking at his alarm clock, Declan saw that it was quarter-to-eight; it would be another two hours before the Potters would arrive to take him shopping.

Realizing that whoever was at the door must be the representative from Hogwarts, Declan quickly dressed in khaki shorts and a blue collared shirt. He slipped his sneakers on, then rushed downstairs, his heart rate increasing rapidly with anticipation. Just as he heard movement from upstairs, Declan opened the front door, revealing a tall, blond man in a dark suit with a scarlet tie. "Good morning Declan," he said, smiling broadly as the door opened. "My name is Neville Longbottom, and I teach Herbology at Hogwarts. I'm terribly sorry for the hour I'm visiting at, but I've got a rather busy day ahead of me. This must be your father," he added as Mr. O'Riley appeared behind Declan. "Neville Longbottom, at your service."

Mr. O'Riley shook his extended hand firmly and said, "John, John O'Riley. Please, come in."

Mr. Longbottom thanked him and stepped across the threshold. Declan shut the door behind him as Mr. O'Riley guided the other man into the living room. When the boy entered a moment later, he saw that the representative from Hogwarts had taken a seat on the sofa, positioning himself so that he was facing the loveseat, which was where Mr. O'Riley was sitting. The wizard looked completely at ease, whilst Mr. O'Riley looked somewhat uncomfortable and was sweating slightly.

Remembering his manners, Declan asked, "Would you like a drink, Professor Longbottom?"

The man showed his perfectly straight teeth as he smiled again. "No thank you, Declan." He waited until the boy sat next to his father to continue. "Well, let's begin then. As was explained in the letter you received yesterday, you are a wizard. Young boys and girls that live in the British Isles and display potential for magical talent, such as yourself, are placed on a list to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These individuals are then sent a letter of acceptance to the school during the first week of July after their eleventh birthday, unless their birthday is sometime during July or August, in which case they receive their letter before they turn eleven. Are you with me so far?"

Declan nodded, but before he could tell Mr. Longbottom that the Potters had already explained things, the man continued, "Good. Once you have purchased all of your school supplies, you will be ready to attend Hogwarts. The Hogwarts Express leaves from King's Cross Station at exactly 11:00 AM on September first, so make sure you get there early. You will find the train on Platform nine-and-three-quarters, and you will change into your robes on the train. Once you arrive at the school, you will be sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, - "

"Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin," Declan interrupted, trying to smile politely as he did so. When he saw Mr. Longbottom's dumbfounded expression, the boy explained, "I'm friends with James Potter. His family explained just about everything to me last night after they found out that I received a letter from Hogwarts."

Understanding quickly spread across the man's face, and he smiled broadly. "Ah, I'm glad that you know the Potters. Harry and Ginny have done much for the world, and I'm proud to call them my friends, even if we don't see each other as often as we'd like to… Well, I suppose I can be off, if you don't have any questions for me," he said with a raised eyebrow. When Declan said that he couldn't think of anything to ask, Mr. Longbottom rose and walked to the door, the O'Rileys following behind him. He opened the door, then turned to shake hands with Mr. O'Riley. Squatting to meet eyes with Declan, he said, "I'll be seeing you in a few weeks, Declan. Stay out of trouble until then, won't you? Oh, and don't worry about sending an owl to let the school know that you'll be attending; I'll handle that for you."

With that, Mr. Longbottom stood, turned on his heel and stepped out the door. He walked a few paces, then glanced back and winked. A _crack_ rent the silent morning air, and he was gone.

 **Hey everyone! So, I'm finally back, and I'm busier than ever! However, I am going to be setting aside time to work on both this story and Né Oc Vol Knurlan. I'm really sorry for the lengthy hiatus, and I want to thank darkdruid01 for helping me get back on track. The next chapter will be coming out soon!**


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